Threshing in the wine press

Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. (Judges 6:11 NLT)

I love the story of Gideon and have to admit it has spoken so much to me recently. But I only want to look at one part today. Gideon threshing wheat in the winepress.

To those of us that get our flour from the grocery store and have never seen the process this doesn't seem strange, right? But when you look at the process it's the worst place possible.

The concept is separating the edible grain from the non edible chaff. To do this the wheat is beaten in an open space or threshing floor and usually one with a good breeze so that the heavy grain will fall to the floor and the wind will carry the light chaff away. Makes you appreciate the prebagged flour in the store a little more!!

Anyhow so what's wrong with a wine press? Well for starters it was probably a cave. It would have been damp and cold and instead of a fresh breeze it was probably stale still air. If it wasn't a cave it was a big massive stone hole in the ground with steps leading down, like a stone tank. So this just made the threshing process, an already laborious task, a million times harder.

So why on earth would Gideon chose such a difficult place? He was hiding! The Midianites had invade the land and they would regularly come down to the villages and take what they wanted. Without grain it would be impossible to feed your family. If Gideon had been on the threshing floor it was wide open and he would have been completely exposed to the Midianities attack. In the winepress the walls were high enough that they would never have seen him. 

I've heard people preach or teach on the subject of this and have been really hard on Gideon. They've called him stupid or ignorant but they don't understand. Gideon was a bruised reed. Gideon's world was under constant attack. His only focus was on survival for him and his family. He wasn't stupid or ignorant. 

He was doing the most necessary thing in the most difficult of situations to survive.

Some of you know what I am talking about it. You have a spiritual Midianite army that attacks randomly, sometimes daily. An emergency repair at the house costs this weeks paycheck and the pantry is empty, the pain of that illness comes back right in the middle of a busy week, that person that gets under your skin just sent that email or made that comment that steals your peace. You know the attacks. Your list and mine are probably different but it's the same enemy.

So fear kicks in. You go into defensive survival mode and you find the nearest cave and hide just to get through the day. Yes you went to work today and got everything done, on autopilot. Yes you took care of your family but on autopilot. And because of this fear you live in a cave and now just getting up in the morning is the most difficult thing in the world. You pick the bills that get paid because there isn't enough to pay them all and then wrestle all day and night with dread. You trying to be part of the conversation and be social but you are counting the seconds till you can go hide in your cave because you don't want one more well meaning comment. 

Because right now all you know to do is the necessary in the most difficult place to keep that thing safe from attack.

It's ok! You are ok! And you know why? Wait till you hear what the angel of the Lord said to Gideon when he found him in the winepress threshing wheat!

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (Judges 6:12 NKJV)

Stop! Go back and read that again!!! Yes the angel called him a mighty man of valor!!!! VALOR! 

valor¹— noun 

1. boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery: a medal for valor.

There's two things here. God sees us not in our current condition but as the person He has called us to be. But here's the big thing. Gideon was the youngest in his family so there's probably a whole big family sitting back at the house wishing they had flour. They sat around wondering what to do and complaining about the constant attacks and how horrible it was and how could this possibly happen to them! Sound familiar? We are all guilty!

Gideon showed boldness and determination in great danger and found a way to thresh that wheat. It was harder yes but he was doing it. He was determined to feed his family and not let the Midianites steal this grain. 

I don't see Gideon as a fool or wrong nor do I think any of us that find ourselves in the winepress instead of the threshing floor are wrong. Sometimes that is how we get through life. Sometimes it's how we survive.

 But did you hear the first part the angel said, 'THE LORD IS WITH YOU!' Now I'm sure Gideon looked at him the way you are looking at me right now. "Really is this winepress the Lord is with me?" YES. 

Sometimes He needs to take us to the winepress to make us see who we need to be. So we can set aside our pride and our plans and let God really use us. 

God can't use people who know they can do it in their own strength. He wants a people who have determination in facing great danger. Gideon wasn't going to let the constant attacks of the enemy stop him from doing what he had to do. And because he was faithful in such a little task like threshing wheat God chose him to lead his people to victory.

Go back to the definition of Valor, it says 'especially in battle'. You see God knows we are in the battle of our lives even though we don't realize it. The day you became a child of God you stepped onto a battle field whether you knew it or not. It makes me sad that so many Christians aren't told the truth about the gospel. It's a fairy tale story that the whole world is going to be perfect. Yes eventually when this life is over and Christ has the final victory and the New Heaven and New Earth are in place. But hold on tight because until then we live in a fallen state with a real enemy who wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy. I had a friend once tell me she doesn't give Satan that much authority in her life. I don't think any child of God does but we are warned he's 'like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8).

So what is this battle all about? Well we are told in Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." It's not that difficult person in your life, or that mean boss, or that disease, or that debt, or that whatever the flesh-and-blood face of it is. There is a war room in hell where they are scheming every day against you because hell's one objective is to stop every single person being reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus. So if he can constantly hit you and weary your soul maybe you will just give up and die. Sadly this happens to so many Christians that don't even realize they are on a battle field in the first place.

When we wake up and realize this then we can put on the Armor of God and fight. Then one day we say like Paul "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race." (2 Timothy 4:7). God sees your valor even in your winepress because He knows you are on the battle field fighting.

You may well be reacting to what I'm saying like Gideon right now. You maybe asking how on earth is the Lord with me right now and I don't feel all loaded up on valor. But trust me if you are a child of God He is with you. If you can find enough determination to keep going each day one of these days God isn't just going to remove the Midianite army in your life but he's going to use you to lead the charge against them.

So hold on to the promise that He is with you and He sees you for the valiant soldier He is making you into. Now keep threshing that wheat!

God bless!

Bruised.

So what does a bruised reed look like? Well basically you and me.

You may be in a season of your life right now where the world is at peace and you are blessed. I rejoice with you and thank God for this blessed season. But either you have already experienced a dark night of faith or you will one of these days. No matter what the vast majority of Christians will have a trial which shakes their faith to the core.

It's almost the biggest shock to a Christian's life when trials come but the Bible tells us they are coming.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12 NLT)

So why are we surprised? What makes us think that we are so special? Why do we think that when we pray the salvation prayer we just stand up and have a winning ticket to an easy life? Even Job's friend asked him what he had done to sin against God. They didn't realize that the trial Job was in was for God's glory. That's the key, there are two reasons for trials and ultimately really only one. Firstly, to teach us, grow us and mold us which ultimately leads to reason number two, God being glorified.

There are two scriptures that refer to the brusied reed:

A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. (Isaiah 42:3 NKJV)

A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; (Matthew 12:20 NKJV)

Isaiah spoke about it in the prophecy of The Messiah and then Jesus himself quoted Isaiah. This happened after he healed a man in the Temple on the Sabbath and the Priests decided to start plotting against him.

The Hebrew word for bruised is 'ratsats' which means to crack in pieces, lit. or fig. - break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together. I don't know about you but I can pretty much tick each of those boxes right now. 

What is very interesting is this same word 'ratsats' is found in verse 4 of Isaiah 42 but the NKJV has translated the word as discouraged. But this time it's talking about the coming Messiah Jesus.

He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isaiah 42:4 NKJV)

I was so excited when I read this. I might be bruised and discouraged but my Saviour will not be bruised or discouraged in the goal He has. There is so much comfort to be found in that. If we are to be like Christ then even in our discouragement we need to stand firm till we see the Kingdom's work complete. And if He won't fail or be discouraged then can't we just rest in His promises? 

To me a bruised reed is like the sea oats I see on the beach. They are so beautiful along the beach. But as beautiful as that beach is sometimes it's not a nice place to be. The winds can be so strong and harsh against this delicate reed. No matter how strong the reed stands it just takes a bad storm and constant bending against that wind to snap it. Or a careless hand or foot damaging it without thought. 

So many of us are like those sea oats we have stood proud in the sun and then the storm came. At first the wind was ok but then it built and built and we were bent every way until one day we felt that painful snap in our hearts. That moment where we cried God I can't do this anymore. 

In Greek the word for bruised is 'suntribo' which means to crush completely, ie to shatter (lit. or fig.) - break (in pieces), broken to shivers, bruise. Some of us feel like we have been broken to shivers when those hurricanes hit. 

In John we see the word 'suntribo' used in reference to Christ's death and the fulfillment of prophecy with the translation 'broken'.

For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” (John 19:36 NKJV)

Like with the Hebrew word again it is in reference to Christ and how he will NOT be broken or bruised. In our earthly fallen imperfect states we live in a condition where we are brusied, broken and discouraged but if we are to 'put on Christ' and be like Him then he CAN'T be broken and he WON'T be discouraged. 

I have often wondered what it means when people say living life in victory and maybe this is what it means. It means even though we feel like a bruised reed on the verge of breaking the God we serve won't let us break. It's not an option. 

When sin entered into creation a plan was put in motion to reconcile God to his creation. The Bible is not only the history of how we got here but the prophecy and the history of what has yet to come. Have you read the last part? God wins!!!! His creation is restored to Him and we are no longer separated from Him. Sin will be GONE. 

The pain your heart feels today, the anger, the hurt, the brokenness, the discouragement, the frustration, the anxiety, the oppression... it will all be gone.

And yes I know that all sounds wonderful but right now you are in the pit of hell covered in the filth and stench of this world and all its evilness against you and all you can find is the above emotions. And yes that beautiful new earth sounds wonderful but right now you are stuck in the garbage dump that is this world, so really that doesn't solve the endless list of worries and problems. Trust me I understand. But please stop for a minute. Breathe in deep and remember if you are a child of God bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ this is only temporary. 

You always hear of soldiers in war zones thick in the trenches carry photos of their loved ones back home. For those times they need to remember what they are fighting for and that this isn't normal life. Hell wants you to believe that right now is normal and all there is. Put read Revelation 21 and 22. Build a mental postcard of what John describes but remember anything you can imagine will be no where close to how amazing and beautiful the reality will be. Now put that postcard in your pocket and pick up your weapon and keep fighting. Next time you get overwhelmed by the battle take the postcard out and remember what you are fighting for. Jesus was not bruised or broken or discouraged on the cross because He knew what He was fighting for. 

So yes we might feel bruised but He won't let us break. The only way we break is if we let go of Him. So I'm putting my postcard in my pocket, I'm lifting up my sword of the Spirit and taking my Jesus' hand. Many have fought for less but we fight for the Glory of God!